Ukraine Lacks Infrastructure for F-16 Jet Fighters

An official close to Russia’s top brass told Vedomosti that “integrating the F-16s would require the Ukrainian forces to build an entirely new infrastructure, one that differs dramatically from Ukraine’s current legacy systems,which are designed to service Soviet-made jet fighters. For starters, a higher quality of runway pavement will be needed. Although basing the fighter jets in Poland for sorties would not be technically feasible, Poland could handle the sophisticated maintenance of F-16s, while air bases in Ukraine would be used as jump airfields,” the official said. However, the delivery of the Western fighter jets will ultimately not be able to turn the tide for Ukraine, he concluded.